Bucheon samgyetang restaurant with a self-serve bar: Oi Samgyetang

Now that the weather's getting chilly, I start craving a good samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) place where you can eat something hearty in warm broth. This time I visited Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch in Sangdong, Bucheon.

Let me introduce it right away~~

Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch: hours and parking

• Hours: Mon–Sun 11:00–21:00 (last order 20:20)
• Open every single day, so it's easy to visit
• Recommend checking ahead in case hours change
• Parking available! (free)

Finding the building — No Brand downstairs, Oi Samgyetang upstairs

Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch is on the second floor of a building with a large No Brand store on the ground floor. That made it easy to find, and once you go up to the second floor the entrance is right there, so it was easy to locate even on a first visit.

There was also a separate waiting area for customers on the first floor. Since the place seems to get busy at mealtimes, having a waiting space seemed like a good idea.

What the entrance and dining room look like

Going up to the second floor, the entrance was right there, so there was no chance of getting lost.

Walking into Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch, the space was bigger than I expected, and even though I'd timed my visit to slightly avoid lunch hour, there were still quite a lot of customers.

There were a lot of elderly customers in particular, along with many families, so just walking in made me think this must be a well-known samgyetang spot in Bucheon.

There was also a room-style space toward the back of the restaurant, which looked good for a family meal or a group dining together.

There was also a separate self-serve bar area. Aprons were provided too, so you could worry less about splashing broth on your clothes while eating samgyetang, haha.

What we ordered: herbal mung bean samgyetang, 18,000 won

We ordered two bowls of the herbal mung bean samgyetang at ₩18,000 from Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch!! At a samgyetang place there's generally that satisfying feeling of eating a whole chicken for one meal, and since this menu had mung bean in it, I was curious what it would taste like.

The basic side dishes were kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), pickled radish, pickled onion, cucumber, peppers, and ssamjang. Eating a piece of kkakdugi every so often alongside the samgyetang broth had a way of refreshing my palate. With pickled radish and pickled onion on the side too, I could eat all the way through without getting tired of just one side dish~~~

How did the herbal mung bean samgyetang broth and chicken taste?

As soon as the herbal mung bean samgyetang arrived, the sight of a whole chicken sitting in the bowl already felt hearty.

I tried a spoonful of the broth first, and maybe because of the mung bean, it felt a bit richer and nuttier than a regular samgyetang broth.

There was a subtle fragrance from the herbal ingredients, and the nutty flavor of the mung bean added on top made it good to eat while it was warm.

The chicken was boiled thoroughly, so the meat was really tender. Especially when I picked at the leg meat, it just fell right off the bone, so it was easy to eat, hahaha.

Dipping a piece of chicken lightly in the broth and topping it with a piece of kkakdugi was a delicious combination too. Samgyetang on its own is pretty plain, so eating it continuously can start to feel a little monotonous,

but having the kkakdugi and pickles alongside made it good to mix in bites here and there. Maybe because of the herbal ingredients and mung bean, after finishing a bowl I felt warm inside and satisfyingly full.

Who is Oi Samgyetang in Sangdong best for?

This seems like a good place to visit when you're craving a hearty meal, especially as the weather turns colder. If you're looking for somewhere to eat with elderly parents or have a family meal out, the private rooms and the sheer size of the place make it worth keeping in mind when searching for a family dining spot in Bucheon.

Oi Samgyetang Bucheon Main Branch at a glance

• Second floor of a building with No Brand on the ground floor
• Herbal mung bean samgyetang ₩18,000 x 2
• Kkakdugi, pickled radish, pickled onion, cucumber, peppers, ssamjang and more
• Rich, nutty broth thanks to the mung bean
• Hearty thanks to the herbal ingredients, chicken boiled so thoroughly it fell right off the bone
• Large dining room + private room space + self-serve bar + aprons provided
• Lots of families and elderly customers in the mix
• Free parking available
• Kept clean with no lingering odors

Recommended for these diners

• Anyone looking for a well-known samgyetang restaurant in Bucheon
• Anyone wanting a hearty meal in Sangdong, Bucheon
• Fans of herbal samgyetang or mung bean samgyetang
• Anyone looking for a place to eat with elderly family members
• Anyone wanting an easy family dining spot in Bucheon
• Anyone looking for a samgyetang restaurant with private rooms
• Anyone looking for a Sangdong, Bucheon restaurant with free parking
• Anyone who likes samgyetang with thoroughly boiled, tender chicken